In addition to the NYX products, I also applied a touch of Victoria’s Secret’s Beauty RushWet/Dry Shadow in Gold Rush on the center of my eyelid for an eye brightening effect as well as the darkest, almost black eyeshadow from my BH Cosmetics 88 Neutral Palette in my crease (well, technically I don’t have a crease–instead, the area of where a crease would be, almost where you can feel the eye socket) and outer corner for extra smokiness. I followed up with my Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackened Brown on my upper lash line, Styli-Style Line & Style 24 Twist Eyeliner in Black Brown on my inner rim/water line, Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base, and Maybelline Define-a-Lash Volume Waterproof Mascara in Black on both my upper and lower lashes (after curling them first!). If you have questions on any of the other products I’m wearing with today’s close-up, feel free to leave me comment!

The final word on repurchasing NYX Eyeshadow Base in #ESB03 Skin Tone:

Just so you know, I don’t use eyeshadow primer ever because I’ve never had any problems with creasing or my eyeshadow wearing off too quickly, so my opinion may not be the best to rely on if you do have issues with creasing or lasting eye makeup issues. I am not even going to offer pros or cons on this product, instead I will just give you my observations.

This primer seemed to do the job I believe eyeshadow primers in general are meant to do. I had no problems with my eyeshadows wearing off as the day went on and the colors stayed true to how they appeared in their pans.

The flesh tone left a neutral base for your shadows which I think would be especially beneficial to those who have discolored or vein-y eyelids. NYX also has a pearl and white toned base as well.

Very budget friendly price (I think around $6)!

Yes, I will repurchase if I decide that eyeshadow primer is an essential to my makeup routine. I do recommend those of you who use eyeshadow primer on a regular basis to try the NYX eyeshadow base if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the cult classic Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion which I know is much pricier.

A girlfriend of mine recently wanted to know what were some of the best drugstore brand lipsticks that did not feel drying on the lips and/or get cakey after wearing for awhile. Well, I’m so glad that she asked! Out of all makeup products, I probably own more lip products than any other type of makeup. This includes lipsticks, lip glosses, lip liners, lip stains, and lip balms! I haven’t done an exact count of all my lip products, but I can approximate at least one hundred and probably more! I have a good mix of both high end ($15 and up) and budget friendly (under $10 and can typically be found at drugstores) lipsticks. In my opinion, great quality lipsticks can be found in both price groups, as well as horrible lipsticks in both. My current favorite drugstore brands of lipsticks that I think feel moisturizing on the lips and provides smooth, even coverage without getting cakey would be the following:

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick–feels very creamy and emollient on the lips, gives semi-opaque color coverage with slight sheen, has SPF 20, almost feels like a lip balm, color has average wear time due to its moisturizing abilities, retails for around $6, this is probably my favorite one out of the ones I’m reviewing here!

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in Dreamy #140 is a light shimmery pinky-nude.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in Spotlight Beige #620 is a light creamy rosy-beige nude with no shimmer.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in Sunset #180 is a warm rose shimmer.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in Precious Brown #680 is a shimmery mauve-nude.

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick–feels very lightweight on the lips, almost as if it’s sinking in right away (this lippie is great for people who don’t like the feeling of lipstick on their lips!), since the lipstick feels so light on the lips it doesn’t provide a ton of moisture but at the same time doesn’t dry out your lips either, the semi-opaque color that’s almost matte wears very well throughout the day, retails for around $9

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Rosy Nude #065 is a pretty mid-toned rose with brown undertones (very similar to Bobbi Brown’s lipstick in Brown) and no shimmer.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color–feels creamy on the lips (not as much as Rimmel’s lipppie), very opaque rich color with a satin-like finish, wears very well throughout the day, retails for around $6

**Sorry, I forgot to do swatches on my arm for reference. Please contact me if you would like these added!

MaybellineColor Sensational Lip Color in Warm Me Up #235 is a mauvey-rose with brown undertones and no shimmer.

MaybellineColor Sensational Lip Color in Totally Toffee #215 is a deeper mauvey-rose with brown undertones and no shimmer.

NYX Round Lipstick–feels creamy on the lips, give semi-opaque color, wears well throughout the day, retails for around $5

NYX Round Lipstick in Ceto #546 is a light shimmery pinky-nude.

NYX Round Lipstick in Frappucino #632 is a creamy rosy-nude with brown undertones and no shimmer.

Here’s another look at all of my favorite drugstore brand lipsticks:

What are some your favorite drugstore brand lipsticks? Any ones to avoid? What are your must-have qualities in any lipstick? If you don’t wear lipstick, why not? Share your thoughts!

For my basic, everyday makeup wardrobe I tend to stick to very similar colors and variations of such shades which most of the general public would not be able to tell the difference. But of course, myself being a makeup aficionado and others like me, can assure you that we possess a special ability to discern between multiple shades that might be considered by others to be the exact same color. Since I tend to wear mostly neutral taupes, grays, and browns on my eyes, pinky-peaches on my cheeks, and various versions of nude on my lips, it is quite rare for me to invest in other colors out of my comfort zone. I find the best way to purchase a variety of other colors, especially when I do not plan on wearing them often, is through makeup palettes which often times are at a value price versus paying for each individual shade. One such palette that I like to use when I am going out, feeling daring or fun, needing a pick me-up, or doing makeup for others is my Sephora Blockbuster Palette (the original 1st edition which I believe cost me $40?) which contains a wonderful variety of bright colorful shades, in addition to some of my more familiar neutrals.

As you can see this palette houses 64 eyeshadows, 8 blushes (one that is similar to a highlighting powder), 22 lip colors (some glosses, some fuller coverage lipsticks, and a couple glittery balms), and some cheap-o brushes and applicators. The variety of eyeshadow colors range from pinks, lavenders, purples, grays, pearls, creams, golds, russets, browns, taupes, greens, teals, blues, and I’m sure there’s still other color families I’m not including as well. Lip colors range from plums, mauves, roses, pinks, reds, russets, nudes, golds, corals, browns, tans, and glittery balms in silver and clear (who I have no idea would use unless they perhaps work in a Vegas show?!?!). The blushes in this palette are all very pretty and wearable; shades of pinks, peaches, corals, roses, light reds, plums, and a very pale pink highlighting powder are included. I do have to note that all of the blushes in this palette do contain shimmer, some more than others.

With all of the shades that are provided in this palette, there are an endless amount of looks that one can create. The ~$40 I paid was an absolute steal for all of the product that you are getting! The eyeshadows seem decently pigmented, but not quite as much color payoff than other makeup lines such as MAC or Shu Umera or other artistry lines. I don’t mind having less pigment in the eyeshadows because wearing the bright colors sometimes makes me feel like a clown or something, so the softness and sheerness is appreciated by me. However, the blushes are definitely more pigmented than the eyeshadows and a light dusting with my blush brush gives me beautiful color on my cheeks! The lip colors are my least favorite part of the palette because I just have too many other lip products that I like much better. Although one way that I do enjoy using the lip colors is to blend them with other shades (either from the palette or other lip products I have) and create my very own, unique lip color!

It will take me forever to use up this palette, but I do encourage other makeup enthusiasts to invest in a palette like this if you are wanting to be more creative with your looks, like to experiment, and have lots of options! Sephora has since come out with many versions of this palette, some smaller or larger in size. Many makeup lines also make palettes that are similar.

As a side note, I have recently purchased some palettes from Coastal Scents and BH Cosmetics. I’m very excited to see what all the hype is about that I’ve read on various beauty blogs and on YouTube about these two palettes, but am wondering for those of you who already own palettes from either one or both of these companies, what are the eyeshadows and blushes color payoff/pigmentation like? I’ve seen some who rave about the quality being similar to that of MAC’s and others who say they are chalky and definitely require eyeshadow primer to really show off the colors? Please share your experiences with the palettes from Coastal Scents and BH Cosmetics! I will be posting reviews of both once I receive my palettes, so stay tuned!

Do you own any makeup palettes? If so, which ones? Why do you like makeup palettes? Is there a makeup palette that you are dying to have? Feedback is greatly appreciated!

Makeup primer used to be a product that only true beauty gurus knew of, used, and purchased back in the day. Only very high end or makeup artistry geared lines carried these “magical” makeup primers that were supposed to “prime” your face for the absolute “perfect” makeup application afterwards. Many primers claim to work by prepping your skin into a smooth, poreless, shine minimized canvas that would allow your makeup to go on flawlessly and endure hours of wear without looking greasy and worn down by the end of your day/evening. One of the industry leaders of makeup primers would be Smashbox Cosmetic’s Photofinish Foundation Primer which is said to on Sephora’s website do the following:

The silky blend of vitamins and antioxidants smoothes and perfects skin while the unique formula helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen, and fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish.

I have indeed purchased and used this primer several times and really do believe in the claims it makes, but the price for the amount you get ($36 for 1 oz or $42 for added SPF 15) seems a bit too steep and unjustifiable even for beauty addicts such as myself who will go to any length to get the products that work. Especially with the surge of most makeup lines, including many drugstore brands, coming out with a makeup primer of their own, I had to see what else was out there.

Recently I have purchased Avon’s MagiX Face Perfector SPF 20 which retails at $10 and Rimmel London’s Fix & Perfect Foundation Primer which I purchased for $7.59 at Ulta, both for 1 oz of product.

Here are my own personal opinions (the following comments only reflect how the product applied and wore on my combination to oily on the t-zone face, which of course will be different from others and their skin types!) on the Avon MagiX Face Perfecter SPF 20 primer:

PROS–

has light reflecting particles which imparts a slight shimmery glow to my skin

has SPF 20 which is fantastic to protect my skin from the sum

feels lightweight on my skin

the product comes out of the tube like a thick gel-cream and transforms to a powdery texture almost immediately when rubbed onto my face

my makeup held on well throughout the day with maybe 1-2 touch-ups on my t-zone with an oil-blotting paper to reduce shine

great price point and easy to purchase online or I guess through an Avon consultant if you’d prefer

CONS–

since the product is the consistency of a thick gel-cream, I found it difficult to squeeze out of the tube (kind of like old toothpaste??); I either squeezed to lightly and barely got anything out or squeezed with too much force getting way too much product than needed for one application to my face

the primer’s powdery texture once on the skin makes it hard to spread around evenly so my drier areas on my face like my cheeks got either too little or too much primer

the shimmery light reflecting particles might have made my t-zone shinier than needed as the day went on

moisturizer really is necessary underneath the primer to hydrate those drier areas, even though I prefer to use only a makeup primer in place of a daytime facial moisturizer since my skin is not excessively dry

THE FINAL WORD ON REPURCHASING–Yes, if on sale which Avon does quite frequently and to use especially during the summer season when my face is oilier and needs the extra SPF 20 protection.

Here are my own personal opinions (the following comments only reflect how the product applied and wore on my combination to oily on the t-zone face, which of course will be different from others and their skin types!) on the Rimmel London’s Fix & Perfect Primer:

eventually dries leaving behind a smooth canvas without a powdery feeling like Avon’s primer which is good for my drier areas on my face like my cheeks

my makeup held on well throughout the day with maybe 1-2 touch-ups on my t-zone with an oil-blotting paper to reduce shine

great price point and easy to find in most drugstores and general variety type stores like Target and Fred Meyer

CONS–

no SPF protection included so either my foundation will have to include one or I must also wear a separate product with SPF or use only for the evening

primer is tinted with a sheer apricot color that seems to blend into my skin tone, but may be a problem for others

a couple of minutes is needed to fully absorb into my skin

squeezes out a bit too excessively since the primer is more fluid-like than Avon’s so care must be taken to not waste product

THE FINAL WORD ON REPURCHASING– Yes, I will repurchase if I happen to see it on sale because I like the consistency of Rimmel London’s primer more than Avon’s and I will have to make sure my foundation has SPF protection and/or not plan to be out in the sun for a prolonged period of time.

Both of these budget-friendly makeup primers do what they say and each has its definite advantages for use and wear. However, neither of these two are my ultimate, Holy Grail worthy makeup prime rand therefore, the quest continues.

Anyone out there have a good makeup primer that can replace my daily facial moisturizer, has SPF protection, and won’t break the bank? If so, please do share with all of us! What is your favorite makeup primer regardless of the features I’m specifically looking for in a primer? Does anyone think primers are an absolute unnecessary product that companies have promoted just to make more money? All thoughts are welcome!

My youngest sister, Joyce and I decided to do a girls night in and treated ourselves to pedicures with the new nail polishes we just purchased at Ulta earlier today. I personally do not care a whole lot about my nails, which is quite shocking since I’m pretty much obsessed with almost all other things related to beauty, and therefore, I rarely spend a lot of money on purchasing high end, high quality nail polishes such as those made by Essie and OPI. Instead I usually purchase whatever brand is on sale as long as it’s under $5 or so. Joyce on the other hand really enjoys giving herself manis and pedis quite often and she swears that the pricier nail polish brands are definitely worth the money due to the smoother application and lasting color without chipping. I was curious to find out if there was any truth to what she was saying so I am going to give you our immediate feedback on the nail polishes we each used and then follow-up in a week or so with the remainder of my review.

On the left I selected the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Naked Ambition #210 ($7.99 at Ulta) and to the right Joyce selected the OPI Nail Lacquer in Feelin’ Hot-Hot-Hot! #NL B77 ($9.95 at Ulta with a bonus OPI clear topcoat and mini cosmetics bag). You might be thinking that I spent more than I normally do on nail polish, but the only reason I did so this time was that Sally Hansen claims that this nail polish replaces the need for a base coat, nail strengthener, top coat, and of course nail color all in one. Dividing the ~$8 I spent on my nail polish by the 4 products it claims to replace, the nail polish was only $2 then!

Since I do not normally wear a lot of nail color, I tend to gravitate towards really pale neutral sheer shades of pinky-beige. Not only does this type of shade work with all of my wardrobe colors, but it also does not show the oh so obvious chips that would need to be fixed right away otherwise. It’s really the perfect shade of nail polish for lazy nail people such as myself 🙂 The only downside I find with these light shades is that they tend to go on streaky due to the paleness and sheerness of the polish, as well as the ridges in my nails that I tend to overlook and not file down. Joyce went for a fun and flirty Barbie pink shade which is a bit more on the girly and feminine side than I’m used to seeing her in (she usually prefers the dark intense blackish plums–don’t worry, she’s not GOTH or anything like that).

Please excuse my disgusting, dry, vein-y, man-like feet! I would normally never subject anyone to looking at a photo of my feet, but I wanted to give you a picture of how the polish turned out on my toes. Joyce’s feet look cute though 🙂

*I thought the unique brush made it fairly easy to apply the polish onto my toenails, but Joyce mentioned the flat and wide brush was difficult to maneuver around the rounded edges of her fingernails

The Lowdown on the OPI Nail Lacquer in in Feelin’ Hot-Hot-Hot! #NL B77 is this:

*a medium-toned rosy-pink shade that leans a bit on the warmer side in the bottle, no shimmer

*one coat gave decent color, but Joyce used two full coats to get her nail color to match the bottle color

*standard brush applicator which Joyce said made the polish easy to apply on both toenails and fingernails

*Joyce raved about the smooth consistency of her OPI polish, not too thin and runny, but also not too thick which she says can turn into clumpy polish (she’s predicted my Sally Hansen polish will eventually get thicker and clumpier on me with time)

*no base coat was applied, but Joyce did use her new OPI clear topcoat she got as a bonus with her nail color

At the end of the week I will be following up on the staying power of both nail polishes and hopefully have an answer to whether or not high end nail polishes can live up to their high costs.

What do you think about high end nail polishes/products versus more budget friendly nail polishes/products? Do you have any favorite nail polishes to suggest? Has anyone found the perfect pale pinky-beige nail polish that never goes on streaky and doesn’t take a ton of coats to get true color? Share your thoughts!

Although I have probably hundreds of beauty products that on any given day might be an absolute must have, the following products are ones that I really do believe that I could not live without EVER and am usually wearing and/or using every single day! In no particular order:

1. Eyecurl II Heated Eyelash Curler–

This is an heated eyelash curler usually sold in Asian cosmetics boutiques and can also be found online. Unlike traditional eyelash curlers, there is no clamp as you can see in the picture. The curl is produced when the user has first applied their choice of mascara and then afterwards (YES, after the mascara is applied!) the user will then place the heated end of the Eyecurl II and place the heating element up against their lashes to “set” their lashed into a curl. I have been using this heated eyelash curler for about ten years now and always have an extra one on hand just in case something happens to it. Friends of mine freak out thinking that the heating element can burn their eyelid skin, but do not worry, the heat is quite gentle and I have never “burned” myself. The heat source for those of you wondering is a single double AA battery. Being lash challenged I have found this type of eyelash curler to actually hold a curl in my lashes all day, where as using a typical clamp type of lash curler which is used before putting on mascara never quite keeps the curl intact.

2. Latisse-–

Keeping on the theme of lashes, this miracle product that many of you have probably already heard of through the heavy marketing both on t.v. and in magazines by celebrities such as Brooke Shields and Claire Danes, truly does work and it is AMAZING! One little drop of the Latisse solution applied nightly to each lash line has over the course of two months or so changed my sparse, wimpy, and pathetic lashes into the longest, thickest, and easy to curl lashes that many of my friends and family have commented on! Yes, Latisse is definitely pricey, but so worth it if you are not so blessed in the lash region like myself. The eyes are a major focal point on your face and with lush lashes framing your eyes, how could anyone resist?!?!

3. Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX08–

When I first got this product I immediately had buyer’s remorse and was upset with how pricey this tiny jar (0.63 oz/18 g) of foundation and/or concealer cost me, but boy was I ever so pleasantly surprised to find the contents of this tiny jar to be incredibly saturated with pigment and thus justifying the cost! The high concentration of pigment in this product has allowed me to cover blemishes and imperfections so well that not even products from the Dermablend line can compete! FYI: Dermablend Cosmetics is a line specifically targeting those who have significant areas on their skin that needs highly concentrated and lasting coverage for scars, birthmarks, etc. I don’t have any major skin imperfections or anything of that nature, but I do get an occasional pimple or the mark an old pimple leaves behind that does need some concealing and this product does it so well by matching my skin tone, great lasting power, it appears natural on the skin, and does not feel like heavy traditional concealer. I’m embarrassed to say this because I know better, but even with having this product for over three or so years now, I’ve barely made a dent in the surface because of how concentrated it is–I use maybe a pin point size amount to cover up blemishes. With that said, I must mention that this foundation and/or concealer should be used very SPARINGLY. I haven’t tried it as an all-over face foundation because I just don’t have the need for that much coverage, but I know that this product is also marketed as a foundation as well.

4. Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base–

Alright, back to lashes again…can you tell that I’m a bit obssessed with my eyelashes yet? My biggest issue with my eyelashes is the ability to hold in a curl. As I mentioned above, using my Eyecurl II Heated Eyelash Curler after already applying mascara does definitely help to lock in and set the curl of my lashes, but in addition to using the heated eyelash curler, I do also use a traditional metal clamp style curler by Shu Umera as the very first step in doing my lashes. After using the Shu Umera lash curler, I then swipe on a few coats of the Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base to again lock and set the curl before applying my mascara (which is always waterproof–why?–it sets the curl better of course!) and finally using the heated curler as a last step. The mascara base is a clear thick gel that goes on just like traditional mascara, but really helps to give your lashes that extra oomph (thickness and volume) and it never makes your freshly curled lashes droop! Instead the base holds your curl in place so that when you apply your mascara, your lashes never get weighed down and lose their curl. Truly amazing! There are great reviews for this product on http://www.makeupalley.com as well!

5. Models Prefer Automatic Eyebrow Pencil–

Do you ever wonder what crazy women are actually purchasing cosmetics from those t.v. shopping networks like HSN or QVC?!?! Guess what, I have! One of my favorite purchases is a great eyebrow pencil from a line that used to be called Models Prefer, but is currently renamed YBF I believe. This eyebrow pencil comes in only one universal medium taupe shade that gives perfect, yet natural definition to the brows and has really good texture for being an eyebrow pencil–not too dense, not too soft either, not too waxy, and not too hard. Other eyebrow pencils I’ve tried in the past look way too unnatural and harsh, but this pencil allows for sparse and thin eyebrows like mine to look fuller and more defined in a way that does not remind you of women who clearly use black eyeliner pencil to “draw” on their brows. I love these pencils so much I ordered a dozen of them off of eBay just in case they’re discontinued!

6. Styli-Style Line & Seal 24 Twist–

A long-wearing eyeliner pencil that is self-sharpening, easy to apply because of its smooth texture (no pulling or tugging of the eyelid!), doesn’t rub off onto my eyelash curler whike I’m curling my lashes, and it’s incredibly affordable price makes this product one of my favorite eyeliners in the world! I used to be quite partial to my Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliners since I used to work for them, but I got tired of having to clean my eyeliner brushes all the time so I switched over to these pencils and haven’t looked back! I use these pencils to line both the top of my lash lines and also the inner rim or waterline underneath. They always go on super smooth with no skipping like other pencils sometimes do because of their hard texture. The color seems concentrated (I own them in several black and brown tones) and wears all day long without any smearing or smudging to be seen.

Hands down, these are a couple of my favorite cream blushes! The intense colors in the pot apply very softly once your fingers warm up the product and are applied onto your cheeks. The flush of color looks like it is really coming from within your skin as opposed to color just sitting on the top layer of your skin like traditional blushes often do. I must mention that I mostly apply these pot rouges on top of just freshly moisturized skin and/or on skin that has very little foundation on it or at least very little powder since this product can be a bit dense and will not rub out into natural looking cheek color on skin that is not moist and hydrated enough. Even though this product is meant to be used on the lips as well, I very rarely use them for lip colors because the two shades I own are a bit too bright and too light for what I like on my lips, but I have used them on other people in the past when I worked for Bobbi Brown and they do make excellent lip colors as well!

8. mark Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain in Bare–

A beautiful sheer nudey-pink gloss at first that dries to a very light nudey-pink stain on your lips as the gloss wears off! Lip stains seem to be all the rage right now and of course I got sucked in. Other lip stains by Revlon, CoverGirl, and Maybelline seem to be supersaturated with color that never look quite natural on my lips even though I always purchase the shades that seem to have the word “nude” in them or at least look very nude and natural on the cap. Instead I usually get a bright fuschia pink shade or an ugly orangish-brown shade on my lips that just makes me look horrid! mark by Avon got it absolutely right with their glossy lip stain! The color “bare” is absolutely gorgeous and gives off the most perfect bit of natural rosey-nudey-pink stain on my lips once the gloss has worn off. I can’t wait to try some of the other shades! One more added bonus is the pleasant minty flavor/scent of this product–not some annoying fruity teenager flavor/scent I would have expected from this line.

Now I want to know what are some of your favorite things (or at least today they are) and why?

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You don't have to be ashamed of your beauty product and fashion obsessions, instead embrace it like I have and subscribe to my blog! A hundred lipsticks in various shades of the same color, a new gotta have VIX bikini in the middle of winter and you live in the Pacific NW, or the lack of self-control when it comes to skipping a visit to Sephora or Ulta when the opportunity arises--does this sound like you? If so, FABULOUS! Subscribe to this blog and satisfy your beauty and fashion cravings :-)